Product Description
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Chatzivaritis Estate, MInimus, Assyrtiko, 2021, Goumenissa, Greece
Producer Profile
It all started with love…when Vagelis Chatzivaritis met his soon to be wife Olga Iakovidou in 1981. She was from Goumenissa, a place with a long tradition in winemaking. Little did he know that this was the place where he would, later on in life, dedicate himself into the creation of a very unique and widely undiscovered Greek wine.
Being a wine lover himself, and a man who also appreciated fine food and the simple pleasures of life, he started making his own wine to enjoy with the company of his good friends and close relatives. For Vagelis, wine making was simply a hobby and time-out from his demanding career as a mechanical engineer.
In 2017, the daughter of Vangelis and Olga – Chloi – decided to return to Greece after studying oenology in France and Portugal and having worked in various wineries in France, New Zealand, Argentina, and Chile. When she returned, she brought with her passion and experience for low intervention wines and immediately started making a new range of wines without interventions and experimenting with new wine making techniques, such as petnat (pétillant naturel) and carbonic maceration.
Today the vineyard of the Estate consists of 20 hectares. The Chatzivaritis Estate focuses on the Greek varieties of Xinomavro, Negoska, Roditis, Malagousia, Muscat and Assyrtico, and also cultivates the popular Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Chardonnay and Cabernet sauvignon in smaller surfaces.
Viticulture
From the Protected Geographical Indication Slopes of Paiko (PGI).
Vineyard: Linear layout of organically cultivated vineyard in Fyliria (Wine- growing region of Goumenissa).
Soil: Medium textured sandy clay soils.
Winemaking
Grapes are carefully hand selected and gently crushed before undergoing pre-fermentation cold maceration for 2 days. Following this cold soak, the skins are separated from the juice and spontaneous fermentation is allowed to take place in 6 years old French oak barrels, with no additives, fining or filtration, and with very low sulphur level, added before bottling. Following fermentation, the wine is aged in the same French oak barrels for an additional 3 months.
Tasting Note
This white wine has golden tones and a low level of turbidity. The bouquet has essence of citrus, lime, white-fleshed fruits, green apple, and honey. It is full bodied, round in the mouth, with high acidity and a long-lasting finish.
Goes well with
Barbequed Langoustines.
Cellaring
Ideally drink young.
Features
Varieties: Assyrtiko 100%
Colour: White
ABV: 12.5%
Closure: Natural Cork
Style: Still Wine
Case Size: 6 x 75cl
Country: Greece
Region: Goumenissa
Vintage: 2021
